4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[kat58]

I now have my eglu and run and this Saturday off to get the chooks. I aim to get 3-4 to live in the eglu ---- but which breeds would happily live together?

[Space Chick]

Can I ask if you have a standard run or an extended run? If its a standard run I would not get 4, as there will not be enough room (even with some free-ranging time), TBH my opinion is 3 typical hybrids would be a squeeze.

 

As for which chickens get along and are happy to live together, the answer is most of them will

 

I suppose the important question is your motives for having chickens. If it is as pets then maybe bantams as 3 will fit into the standard run no probs, but their eggs will be smaller.

 

If its for "garden decoration" then some pretty breeds like Polands would be nice.

 

If its for eggs, then I say that a good hybrid is the way to go. Warrens (also called Isa Browns) are lovely natured and are good layers, but there are loads to choose from ie. Speckledys, Black Rocks etc etc.

 

Chickens are so much fun, I'm sure you'll love having your girls

[Cooks]

I agree, I would think about adding an extention to the run (if you haven't already) if you are really wanting 3/4 as I had two girls in the eglu and standard run and thought that looked cramped and hubby had built me a Walk in run within a heartbeart.

 

I know people do keep 3 in an eglu with the standard run, but it's all about how much freerange time they get in addition to that, if not much, then the eglu run is not big enough IMO.

 

There are plenty of lovely smaller breed chickens though or bantams if you are only keeping them as pets and not worried about the egg size. That could be an option?

 

OThers will come along soon with more advice..

[chickencam]

We started with 3 in a standard run, then 1 died and we bought 2 more, we then bought a run extension and they freerange for about 3 hours a day.

 

With 4 if they are laying hybrids you will find that there can be a queue for the nestbox sometimes, but this is only an occasional problem. My hybrids tend to get on with laying quite quickly but my pure breed can take hours in an out and makes a fuss if another girl nips in while she has popped out

 

as to which breeds will live ahppily together, I think this largely depends on their individual personalities than the breed. I wouldn't put very small or young hens with bigger ones and we had trouble introducing 2 white to 2 brown chickens after the brown ones had been settled for about 3 months. Introductions tend to be a problem so I would start with the bumber that you want to begin with, but wouldn't put more than 3 in a standard run.

[Tara.F]

I broke all the rules

I have two bantams and two hybrids in an eglu with a standard run.

 

They're all fine

 

They free range when I'm out in the garden.

They have a branch in there to clamber over or perch on.

I watch them sometimes from an upstairs window and they're happy as Larry

 

I would say four is fine and I believe four is the number recommended by omlet themselves for a standard run, but get them all on the same day if you can (later introductions will always be harder) and you should be fine

 

I have two hybrids (one black, one brown) a wyandotte bantam (buff laced) and an aracauna (lavender).

We've also just hatched eggs so will be adding to our mix but then will be building a bigger run

[ubereglu]

Are you going to let them free-range for most of the time? The standard run will be ok for this, because after you feed them in the morning they can then come out, but if you're not definitely invest in a run convertor at least, (this adds an extra metre of runspace). It does make a huge difference-I've just attached ours in an attempt to stop my hens free-ranging all the time and now they have much more room to play in!

 

On regards to the hen front, see what the breeder has who you're purchasing from. You'd ideally want hens of a similar size to live together. If you buy them all from the same place many of them will have lived together before, but when you get them their pecking order will change as they're a new mix and in a new place.

 

Just don't forget to keep them in the eglu run for a week when you get them, this is so they can get used to their surroundings and know where to go back to at night.

[simone]

i was thinking of getting 3 but oh says 4 so wanted 2 pepperpot and 2 gingernut rangers, collect them at same time so hopefully all get on